While they certainly have the makings of a contender, the Flames will be hard-pressed to surpass last year’s win total. Led by a dynamic group of young superstars, Calgary produced over 3.5 goals per game last season. The top-heavy nature of their offense was ultimately their downfall. Calgary had no plan B when their stars went cold in round one against the Avalanche, as Nathan MacKinnon and company upset the Flames in five games.

As far as contenders go, The Flames had what must be considered an underwhelming off-season. Their key additions include:

• Cam Talbot (UFA): Signed a one-year, $2.75M contract.
• Milan Lucic (Trade): Acquired for James Neal and a 2020 third-round pick

Calgary also re-signed a pair of key pending free agents:

• David Rittich (RFA): Signed a two-year, $2.75M AAV extension.
• Sam Bennett (RFA): Signed a two-year, $2.55M AAV extension.

The core of this contender remains intact, but Calgary might regret not surrounding Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan with more help in the off-season. Depth is clearly the biggest issue with this roster, yet Calgary was surprisingly stagnant when it came to adding role players. By going this route, the Flames are placing a hefty wager on the continued development of internal players like Bennett, Mark Jankowksi, and Andrew Mangiapane.